The Weavers of Orlando, (WoO) is proud to announce the year 2017 as its 75th  Diamond Jubilee. The guild has been an active educational and social organization in Central Florida since 1942. It promotes and encourages interest in the fiber arts such as weaving, spinning, basketry, dyeing, felting, and beading through its monthly programs, regular workshops, study groups and valuable instruction. It serves as an important clearinghouse of information on a variety of topics including yarn, loom sources and other weaving guilds across the United States.  Proud of its 75-year history, the guild has planned events and exhibits in Central Florida through out the year.

The first event is on display the at the Lake Mary, FL Museum of History in June as part of the museum’s Quilting and Fabric Art Exhibit. The Lake Mary Museum of History is located at 158 N. Country Club Road, Lake Mary, 32746. Members of the Weavers of Orlando were on site each Saturday morning for the general public on the museum’s porch on June 10, June 17 and June 24.

Caption to the photos:   Weavers of Orlando provided demonstrations of spinning and weaving for visitors to the Lake Mary Historical Museum during the month of June, 2017. Here, Mary Ann Gilbert and Nancy Reed share their experience in the guild with Carolyn Robinson of Heathrow and her friend, Mary Jane Duryea of Lake Mary and showed them some basic spinning and weaving techniques.

Ms. Robinson examines a silk wedding dress that was made by a Lake Mary resident from parachute cloth during World War II.  The blue nautical quilt, below, that she is examining was made ca.1850. The detail of the work in all of the colorful quilts is amazing!

    Weavers of Orlando coordinated with Lake Mary Historical Museum curator Gerry Engle to showcase its weaving and spinning with the Quilting and Fiber Arts display for June, 2017. The display included detailed interpretive placards which documented the many historical garments and quilts that comprised the exhibit.

THREADS OF OUR LIVES:

CELEBRATING 75 YEARS OF WEAVING IN CENTRAL FLORIDA

    The second event to memorialize the guild’s 75th anniversary is a major exhibit called “Threads of Our Lives – Celebrating 75 years of Weaving in Central Florida.” This exhibit will hang in the Orange County Historical Museum, from June 24 to October 8, 2017 and will feature The Weavers of Orlando. It presents the history of the guild through a surprising array of colors and textures in functional, wearable, and decorative art made by Central Florida crafts people who bring a modern twist to this age-old tradition. The museum is located at 65 E. Central Blvd., Orlando, Florida 32801.The History Center is an affiliate museum of the Smithsonian Institution. They are also accredited by the American Association of Museums. For general information on the exhibit: 407-836-8500; toll free 800-965-2030 or go to www.thehistorycenter.org

The members of The Weavers of Orlando gather for a group shot and to examine the expert display at the opening reception for the guild’s 75th Anniversary June 23rd.  The buzz from the excited group was electric.

The consensus: “The exhibit was ‘Spectacular!'”

Gloria Dinardi of the Weavers of Orlando proudly shows her wall hanging to Berna Lowenstein at the opening reception of the guild’s display at the Orange County Historical Museum on Friday, June 23.  Her tapestry design is called a TELEMARKSTEPPE/ Skillbragd and is an old tradition in Norway, where her family has a rich, ancestral heritage.

Gloria explains the pattern to Berna Lowenstein: “The old Telemarksteppe had a wide variation in the treading, which made the designs become different, the colors appear clear and strong next each other.  Norwegian weaver Norma Hardang made a study about the old rugs/carpets. She made a reconstruction as close as possible regarding materials used in the original rugs. She choose Linen 16/2 for the warp, Linen nr. 20 for the tabby, and the Norwegian Kunstvevgarn thin Prydvevgarn for the weft. All the rugs are from the West Telemark Region in Norway and they were woven in the period between 1795 to 1850. All these rugs got their names after the places (farm, ranch) from which they were woven. These rugs were highly regarded, and are still treasured fabrics. The study of these old fabrics show how the foremothers let fantasy, colors, and their creativity become “their rugs.”  I got the inspiration to weave the Telemarksteppe based on the tradition and the history behind the women who wove these rugs, one upon a time.  I took the challenge, even though I was in my early stage of learning the weaving craft. This is why my accomplishment of finishing the wall hanging/telemarksteppe holds a great deal of significance for me.”

Gloria’s work was selected to be featured at the entrance to the guild’s Anniversary display.

A third exhibit will move into the Lake Eustis, FL Museum of Art for the month of November. The LEMA, located at 1 W Orange Ave, Eustis, FL 32726, exhibits historic, contemporary artwork from local, regional, and national sources and is the first art museum in Lake County dedicated wholly to visual art. It will host a current member exhibit on fiber arts which will include static displays of weaving and spinning throughout the month and demonstrations on Saturdays. For details: 352-483-2900.

   The Lake Eustis Museum of Art.

    Members of the Weavers of Orlando are working closely with the curators and their staff at all three museums to produce three, distinct and memorable interpretive experiences.

    The guild’s diamond jubilee will be celebrated Saturday, November 18 in a themed, catered luncheon at Orlando’s beautiful LEU GARDENS (below, left).   The keynote speaker for the luncheon will be member and past president, Berna Lowenstein, (below, right) who will speak on the guild’s past history and its future directions.

The Weavers of Orlando has an active membership of more than 100 weavers, spinners, bead weavers, dyers, and fiber artists who continue to share their love of fiber arts through its meetings and in educational programs at community events and in schools in Central Florida.

IN THE BEGINNING…..

AND HOW WE BECAME WEAVERS OF ORLANDO….

     In 1931 a group of weavers in the Orlando area began meeting informally at each other’s homes to share a common interest in weaving. These ladies were: Mrs. Edith Arnold, Mrs. Elizabeth Burleigh, Miss Vivian Carr, Mrs. Claudia Cunningham, Mrs. Malcolm Frazer and Mrs. Lloyd Tucker. Word spread throughout the State of Florida about weavers in the Orlando area.

Word spread about weavers in the Orlando area and soon weavers from around the State began meeting with the group from Orlando in April 1937. The statewide group then formed our State Guild which was known as Tropical Weavers of Florida and eventually changed their name to what we know it as today, Florida Tropical Weavers Guild.

In 1942 The Orlando group separates, forming its own Guild to be called “Orlando Tropical Weavers Guild”.  The two Guilds met separately and together for many years. When meeting together they had an annual Conference called Florida Tropical Weavers Guild (FTWG) Conference. This annual Conference continues bringing weavers from across the State together to participate in workshops and share a common love of weaving and fiber interests.

In November 1983 the Orlando Tropical Weavers Guild officially changed its name to The Weavers of Orlando to mark their own distinct identity.

Since its founding in 1942 The Weavers of Orlando has celebrated many milestones along the way.   In 1992 the Guild celebrated its 50^th Anniversary with a celebration luncheon in Winter Park.   In 2016 The Weavers of Orlando attained Non-Profit (501c3) status.   2017 marks the 75^th Anniversary of Weavers of Orlando.

     The Weavers of Orlando has an active membership of almost 100 weavers, spinners, bead weavers, dyers, and fiber artists who continue to share their weaving knowledge at meetings, and workshops.

The Guild continues to educate the community about weaving and fiber arts at community events and schools in the local area.

The Planning Committee for the guild’s 75th Anniversary.

From left:  Berna Lowenstein, Marilyn Frew, Anne McKenzie, Diane Click, Mary Schmutte, Cyndi Landers, Nancy Reach, Pat Iverson, Bev Tavel.